In recent years, with the proliferation of sources of television programming including conventional terrestrially broadcast TV, cable TV, and satellite-delivered TV, numerous programming choices exist for a consumer. Consumers often desire to have a guide which shows the programming choices available at various times. The magazine TV Guide is one well-known example of a printed programming guide.
TV Guide Online is an example of a web-based programming guide which provides a user with a programming list which is configurable using drop-down boxes or links to enable customers to switch the content display to another source; e.g., from cable only to broadcast only, etc.
While such web-based programming guides have enjoyed success in the past, they have some drawbacks. First of all, the TV Guide Online can often provide too much information. Often, it is difficult to find the programming which is desirable to the viewer. Secondly, the drop-down boxes of the TV Guide Online guide are not intuitive, in the sense that it is easy for a viewer to forget or otherwise not understand that the information being displayed has been narrowed from a larger list of potential sources.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for providing TV programming information to viewers in an efficient manner.